Lost in the commotion over Mike Jones’ return to Philadelphia are a couple of junior middleweights trying to avoid heading down the road to Palooka-Ville.

Kaseem Wilson, of North Philadelphia, and Phil McCants, of West Philadelphia, will kick off the June 25 card at the South Philly Arena in a scheduled six-round bout.

Wilson, 25, signed with Peltz Boxing Promotions, Inc., on the same day and at the same time as Jones. That was in the fall of 2006. At the time, Wilson was considered the better prospect. But a drab ring style and a somewhat questionable nightlife stalled the southpaw’s career.

Though his record (12-2-1, 4 K0s) does not appear shabby, it’s hard to think of an exciting fight in which Wilson was involved. After being K0d by Russell Jordan, of Buffalo, NY, in the summer of 2007, he disappeared for 15 months. He vanished again less than one year later after losing a dull eight-rounder to Henry Crawford, of Paterson, NJ.

Now Wilson wants to fight again and says he serious.

McCants, 30, a tall, rangy fighter nicknamed The Mongoose, defeated Jones as an amateur. He is 8-2-1, 3 K0s, as a pro, but his career also has been marked by periods of inactivity, one lasting more than three and one half years from March, 2006, to September, 2009. His style also does not send fans flocking to buy tickets.

Wilson and McCants agreed to fight each other in a loser-gets-a-day-job type of match because neither fighter had any options.

When their fight is over, they can watch Jones from the back of the South Philly Arena, wondering how they fell off the fast track. Despite their respective negative styles, hopefully they will find a way to make their fight entertaining, since their professional careers depend on it.

FLORES, CHARLES TALK TRASH

Boxing is extreme; the buildup to a fight can be just as important as the fight itself. Without trash talk, boxing would not be as attractive to the electronic media or the casual fan. Take a look at fighters such as Mike Tyson, Muhammad Ali, Floyd Mayweather, Bernard Hopkins and David Haye! They have built intensity to their fights by causing commotion. When a fighter is big-headed, cocky or arrogant, it could be because he is marketing himself, almost as if it were a publicity stunt. Other times it is because the fighters simply crave the attention. Either way the public enjoys it.

Brittany Rogers contributes the BAM on Boxing column to PSC. You can also check her out, as well as everything else you need to know on Philly boxing, at PeltzBoxing.com. Follow Brittany on Twitter @bamonboxing and Peltz Boxing @PeltzBoxing.